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Parramatta coach Brad Arthur delivered the heaviest public bake of his 11-season tenure at the Eels after a second half implosion on Friday night.
Branding his players part-time footballers and accusing them of giving up against the Dolphins was as heavy handed as the matter-of-fact Arthur has ever been on the Eels at a press conference.
Was the coach turning the blow torch onto the Eels playing group a deflection?
How the Eels playing group responds against the in-form Manly Sea Eagles on Friday night is now critical.
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Dolphins surge to thump Eels | 03:39
There is no question Arthur is a damn good coach who can re-build a roster and produce a consistent football team.
He’s also shown the ability to turn fringe NRL players into genuine first graders along with improve stars like Mitch Moses, Clint Gutherson, Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard.
But the question Parramatta power brokers need to confront over the course of the next month is if Arthur is the coach who can end the NRL’s longest title drought dating all the way back to 1986.
Like all good coaches, Arthur enjoys a tight-knit rapport with his senior players and entrusts them to set the standards and ensure everyone is held to account.
Currently in his 11th season as head coach at Parramatta, Arthur has made the finals on five occasions with the highlight being the 2022 grand final.
Good coaches are hard to find and there’s no question Arthur is a good coach.
Because in the cut-throat world of professional sport there’s only one guarantee – winning fixes everything.
The dominant sea of blue and gold at the 2022 grand final was a reminder of just how big the Eels are as a club. The legion of Parramatta supporters make the Eels a powerhouse.
You’ve only got to look at St George Illawarra this season as an example of what a change of coach can do for a club.
You can literally see the improvement in each individual player at the Dragons since the arrival of new coach Shane Flanagan.
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Lomas steers Dragons to upset win | 03:27
It’s been a bit more of a slow burn at Canterbury-Bankstown but the Dogs were having a party against an ordinary Newcastle side on Sunday and the legion of Kennel supporters loved it.
Neither the Dragons or the Bulldogs have had much to get excited about in recent seasons but the early signs are it’s finally starting to come together for both clubs.
The Wests Tigers were beaten by the Panthers juggernaut in Bathurst but they still showed enough fight to suggest they can cause some superior opposition some problems.
How Brad Schneider wasn’t sin-binned for a dead-set professional foul in ankle tapping Justin Olam is nothing short of a complete gee-up.
Sure it was only one moment in an 80-minute game but it was a critical decision in terms of the context of the match at that point.
The Brisbane Broncos blasted back into form at Suncorp on Saturday night with Reece Lightning Walsh in scintillating touch.
Walsh’s footwork is akin to a young Benji Marshall the only difference is the Broncos fullback can twist opposition defence into knots at even greater speed.
Charged Broncos carve up Ricky’s Raiders | 02:15
Special mention to rookie Raiders fullback Chevy Stewart who proved he’s got what it takes to be a long-term NRL player.
The bravery of this teenager after getting absolutely minced by Broncos forwards Kobe Hetherington and Jordan Rikki was as tough as any front row forward currently playing the game.
The Broncos tortured Stewart with swirling aerial bombs in the driving rain at Suncorp and the way the rookie fullback responded in the second half was a credit to him.
The Sydney Roosters unimpressive start to the season sets up a monumental Anzac Day clash against the in-form Dragons on Thursday.
Roosters hooker Brandon Smith and lock Victor Radley have been the Chooks best players but for whatever reason it’s not flying for the premiership heavyweights.
What were your likes or dislikes from round seven?
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Source Agencies
